by UnConfused 19 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
No, I don't have the WT articles at my fingertips. It is the case though that it wasn't until 1929 that the WT changed their current understanding to be that they were inspected and selected in 1919 - 3 1/2 years after 1914 and Christ's return to the throne.
Wouldn't you think such an important event would have been revealed in a more obvious way?
So for 10 years they had been "chosen" and didn't realize it.
well, the parallel account of matt 24:45-47 (which the JWs say occurred in 1919) is in Luke. And in Luke it says that the master upon his return knocks and the door is immediately opened to him. So, assuming Jesus returned in 1914 and attempted to choose the WT (knokcing at their door) they did not open the door to him for 10 years.
They kept Jesus waiting at the door for that long? What a bunch of a-holes! Come on in Jesus, beers in the fridge! Help yourself to some leftover pizza!
I have to say though, Jesus probably woulda been a cool dude to hang out with. That is until you get murdered for hangin around with him.
The WTS has sot many self marketing schemes to postulate themselves on, its impart the responsibility of the leaders and organizers.
In essence thats really their livelihood/jobs so its not all too surprising is it ?
Wasn't Russell's wife who first purposed that the WTS was the faithful and discrete slave who had the responsibility
to hand out spiritual food at the proper time.
They just took from there and embellished the story to suit their needs.
Great marketing for a religious publishing house isn't it ?
Caddy and devout commercialism.
Oh well I guess every religion has to have an angle to levitate from, they found theirs and it worked to some extent.
What is egregious to me is that they staunchly stick to 1919 as the date they received divine authority to do what they do.
So if you don't believe this date you in essence reject their authority.
I know it is witness theology that Jesus returned in 1914 and appointed them 3.5 years later in 1919. But either I'm really bad at maths or they can't add up.
October 1914 plus 3.5 years brings us to April 1918.
inspected and selected in 1919 - 3 1/2 years after 1914 and Christ's return to the throne.
My maths works the same Sapphy. I think the new series of videos by Exgileadmissionary on 1919 maths will blow a few holes in this teaching.
George
The Advantages of Hindsight
Whether this reference is meant to refer to the literal eye or not, there is no doubt that according to the Bible, Jesus will make himself known. The Watchtower Society overcame this discrepancy by saying that Jesus returned in a sense in 1914 to take up his presence invisibly. He then came again in 1919, also invisibly, to take the deceased members of the Society to heaven. They had originally taught that Jesus had returned in 1873.
If Jesus did return in 1914, why did no one see him? Even the Witnesses, then known as “Bible Students,” were still waiting for him to come in 1918. Not until years later in 1929, did the Society “realize” that Jesus had returned in 1914 and that they had failed to notice! Despite expecting Jesus, they missed him.
Did the Bible say that Jesus would not be noticed even by his chosen nation of Jehovah's Witnesses when he returned? "Behold, he is coming with the clouds! Every eye will see him…(Revelation 1:7 NE)
They are still waiting for his third return which will be any day now and seen by all the world.
Taken from the Book - Opening the Door to Jehovah's Witnesses by Trevor Willis - available on Lulu
I may be wrong but I believe the society actually say that Jesus set up his heavenly kingdom in 1914, then 3.5 years later in 1918 he ressurected the anointed who had died up to that time. It was then in 1919 that he appointed the witnesses to proclaim the kingdom message in all the earth, choosing them and no one else.
The first mention of 1914 as the date of Jesus' "presence" was in a Golden Age (now Awake!) article in 1930 on p. 503. The first reference to 1914 as the date of Jesus' "second coming" was in 1932 in a booklet titled, "What Is Truth?". Of course, in 1914 and long afterwards the Bible Students believed Jesus had already returned in 1874 and had been installed as King in 1878.
They also officially recognized C.T. Russell as 'the faithful and wise servant' until 1927. There are WT articles prior to that year forcefully arguing that Russell indeed was "that servant" (see e.g. WTs of 1922 - March 1, p.73-4 and May 1, p. 132).
Then the Feb. 15 1927 WT (pp. 51-57) promoted the new understanding that the 'faithful and wise servant' was a class rather than an individual (i.e. not Russell after all, as "some"(!!!) had thought), and also that Jesus came to the temple to inspect his household in 1918 and found a faithful and wise servant class, making it "ruler over all his goods, or kingdom interests, on earth" (p. 57).
So yes, for the best part of a decade, the FDS class had no idea they'd been divinely appointed, instead thinking the position had already been filled by somebody else.
